October is the most beautiful month

“Oh, Marilla,” Anne exclaimed one Saturday morning, dancing with her arms wrapped around the magnificent branches, “I’m so glad to live in a world where there is October. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it?”

— Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables

Are you surprised that I started this newsletter with a quote? Anne of Green Gablesclassic Canadian children’s book from 1908?

You shouldn’t be like that.

I may be an adult, but Anne Shirley, the main character in the book, is one of my literary heroines, and this is one of my favorite quotes from her.

October is also my favorite month of the year – not just because it’s the month I was born.

If I was born in July I would still I love October.

Considering I’m from the USA, for me October means Halloween, grinning jack-o’-lanterns, corn mazes, hearty soups, freshly picked apples, and apple cider. And harvest moons and harvest festivals and piles of crisp leaves and the smell of wood smoke and crisp autumn mornings when I can wear a thick sweater and still enjoy the sunshine on my face.

Even the word “October” is nice to look at. I love the chubby and perky “O” and the “B” that looks like a little fat belly. Even the letter “c” has a nice round shape.

It’s as if the word itself has had its fill of blackberries, apples and acorns and is now ready for a long, cold winter.

But I especially love October because I’m a photographer and there’s all that fall foliage waiting to be photographed.

Over the past seven years of nomads around the world, Brent and I have lived in places with spectacular Octobers, like Kestelei in Hungary and Helena in Montana.

But for me, one October ruled them all: Prague in the Czech Republic.

Ironically, Brent wanted to visit Prague more than anything else. Oh, I wanted to go, but not as much as he did.

Then we arrived in October 2021 and I was stunned. I immediately realized that I would never get my heart back.

Of course, Prague is widely known as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

I loved the spiers and red-tiled roofs. I was captivated by the first views of Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Town Square and much more.

This was a city I couldn’t wait to explore.

I have an idea! Why don’t you join me on one of my morning walks? But this is not just a walk. Today I want to find ideal photo of Prague in October.

When we leave the apartment, it’s already about 6 am. It’s cool outside, about 30 degrees Fahrenheit, which is ideal for fog to form on the Vltava River, which is famous for its foggy mornings.

We’ll have to walk quickly to get to the far side of Charles Bridge before the sun rises and the fog clears.

We made it on time! Now let’s see the sun rise.

Here it is!

It’s as great as I hoped it would be. What do you think?

As the fog clears, I take photo after photo, trying to capture the city as it materializes out of nowhere, as if by magic.

Eventually the fog cleared completely, revealing Prague, clad in scarlet scarves and polished amber cloaks.

Is this my perfect photo?

I am amazed at how gold, red and amber blend perfectly with the Bohemian sandstone from which many of Prague’s bridges are built. The warm yellow color of the stone perfectly complements the bright trees.

Let’s continue, okay?

Walking along the Vltava, I feel completely happy – I hope you do too. How could we not do this on such a crisp fall morning when the trees were in such perfect fall colors?

I think the Czech proverb about autumn captures what Prague is feeling this morning: “Podzim je maliř, co hraje se zlatou a chervenou.”

This means: Autumn is an artist who plays with gold and red.

I hope my ideal photo will live up to this saying.

The smaller bridge beckons. Let’s take a detour.

The fog had already cleared, and a bright blue sky hung overhead. A small channel filled with standing water catches the reflections of the trees.

Further on, a small stone bridge crosses another canal. A garland of purple leaves flows down from the bridge, and I hear Anne Shirley’s voice saying, “Dear old world, you are very sweet, and I am glad to be alive in you.”

There are flaming ropes of ivy everywhere – cascading from fences, hanging on walls and clinging to gates.

Prague’s parks are no less stunning.

Let’s head to one of the most beautiful – Grebovka Park.

This Italian Renaissance style park was built in the late 19th century on land that had been vineyards since the 14th century.

Grebovka is just a few minutes from our apartment, so Brent and I walk here almost every day.

We love rolling hills and children playing in the leaves, and especially the October sun, which turns the leaves into gold with its alchemy.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Did you know that the light in October is really different from the rest of the year?

The sun hangs lower in the sky, the angle of the light creates softer golden tones. Science tells us that the wavelength of this light enhances the colors red, orange and yellow.

I don’t like to think of such a beautiful part of nature in such prosaic terms. I prefer to sit and absorb it.

The park is filled with trees, and the green grass is already covered with a thick carpet of leaves.

I love the sound of crunching leaves under my feet and the dry, earthy smell wafting through my nose.

Lampposts dot the park and every time I see them I imagine I’m in Narnia and Mr. Tumnus could emerge from the forest at any moment.

He never does, but that’s okay. Enchanted faun or not, I am still surrounded by the magic of autumn trees.

The sun is low in the sky now; the shadows of the trees stretch as if trying to prevent the sun from leaving.

I feel the same way: sad that the end of our day is approaching. And I still haven’t found my ideal picture.

Then I think about something else that Anne Shirley said: “I believe that the sweetest and sweetest days are not those days when something very magnificent, wonderful or exciting happens, but simply those that bring simple little pleasures that softly follow each other, like pearls slipping from a thread.”

I know she’s right, but I admit I still wish I could find that perfect picture.

The light is fading now and will soon disappear. There’s one more place I want to take you before we both go home.

This is Olšany Cemetery, one of several wonderful cemeteries in Prague. Perhaps here I will find my ideal picture.

Olšany is the largest cemetery in Prague, almost four hundred years old. Trees guard simple graves, Art Nouveau tombs and quiet crypts.

A carpet of leaves covers almost everything, but almost all the trees are still covered in fall flowers.

It was like I was in a fairy tale—perhaps a little scary.

Walking up and down the tree-lined rows, autumn here feels even more poignant than past October walks.

Perhaps the fact is that I am in the “autumn” of my life. I just had another birthday and I know there’s less of October ahead than behind us.

It was then that I realized that the point of our walk was not to find the “one” perfect picture – because, of course, such a thing does not exist.

Instead, the goal is to enjoy this October day in such beautiful Prague – and for us all to realize how lucky we are to live in the world of October.